How Alton Brown Saved My First Thanksgiving

I'll admit that before I cooked my very first Thanksgiving in my very first apartment in my very first oven, I was petrified. I think "scared shitless" were the words I used. Yes, I'd watched my mom do it year after year, but I'd never cooked something so monumental, so important, so memorable. I could handle the sides and the gravy, but it was the turkey that had me freaked out. You know how they say public speaking is most people's number one fear? Not true--it's actually cooking your first Thanksgiving dinner. Screw up the cranberries or the stuffing, no big deal. Screw up the turkey, and the best holiday of the year is ruined. People don't remember who the Detroit Lions played that day, but they remember a bad bird.

So how did My Great Turkey Debut of 2003 turn out? Tender, juicy, and flavorful, actually. I had help. That year in Bon Appétit, we published an epic six-page story, "Thanksgiving Starts Here." In it, the brainy Food Network star Alton Brown essentially lays out the rules to roasting the perfect turkey, from buying the best bird to brining to carving. Nine years later, it's still one of our most popular online stories. When nervous first-time turkey-roasters ask me for a foolproof recipe, it's what I give them. Even veteran cooks can learn a few tips and tricks, too. I gave up on turkey a few years back--I'm a proponent of smoked goose and prime rib these days--but if you're someone who can't imagine breaking with tradition, this is the recipe for you. As for public speaking, I can't help you.